The Invitation
by Cats070911
Summary: Tommy visits Barbara to see why she is not going to the Assistant Commissioner's retirement function with another question on his mind.


**Author's note:** all usual disclaimers apply.

* * *

Barbara Havers closed her eyes and massaged her left temple hoping to stave off a headache.

"Are you okay?"

"Arrrrgh." She jumped. Her heart pounded in her chest to the same rhythm as the thumping in her head. "You'll be the death of me one day, Winston."

"Sorry. Are you okay though?"

She sighed heavily. "Just tired. You know this job. But at least I finished my report." Barbara held up the file triumphantly.

"Go home. You're owed time after all the hours on the Ford murder."

"Yeah, I think I will. I'll take this up in the morning."

"I'll walk you to your car."

"Why? Making sure I leave?"

Winston smiled at her. "I know he pushed you hard on this on the case, but the Assistant Commissioner wouldn't want anything to happen to his star detective."

Barbara harrumphed as she logged out of her PC. "His view won't count in a few weeks."

Nkata picked up the golden envelope on her desk and turned it over. "You haven't even opened your invitation to his farewell."

Barbara snatched it from his fingers and shovelled it under the file. "I'm not going."

Winston frowned at her. "I don't understand."

"You don't have to."

"But... everyone will expect you there. He will expect you there."

"He retiring. What's he going to do? Sack me for being busy? Hopefully, someone will commit some gruesome crime, and I will have an excuse. If not, then I plan to be ill."

"Does Lynley know you're not going?"

"I haven't discussed it with him."

"Are you two fighting again?"

Barbara shook her head and picked up her coat. "No," she said as they walked towards the lift. "I will tell him, but not yet."

"You know he will tell you to play the politics and just go."

She shook her head. "No, he won't. He will say if that's what is right for me, then run with it."

"Are we talking about the same man?"

"Trust me, Winston, I know him better than you."

* * *

Tommy Lynley had been fighting bureaucratic red tape all day. He yawned then stood and stretched his long limbs. The paperwork could wait.

Five minutes later, Tommy was standing at Barbara's desk. "Where's Havers?" he asked Winston.

"Gone for the day, Sir. She had a migraine coming on. She's been working long hours on Ford, and I persuaded her to go home."

Tommy nodded. "Thanks, Winston. That was thoughtful of you. She drives herself too hard."

"Unreasonable boss."

Tommy smiled at the younger man. No one but Winston and Barbara could get away with such cheek. "Totally unreasonable. A tyrant no less. So make sure she has the final report on my desk before tomorrow night."

Winston rolled his eyes. "She's already done it. Blue folder just by her keyboard."

Tommy saw it immediately. When he picked it up, he noticed the unopened gold envelope underneath. He tucked it inside the folder. "Some light bedtime reading. Goodnight, Winston."

"Goodnight, Sir."

* * *

In his car, Tommy double-checked that she had not opened the envelope. He tapped it on his steering wheel as he pondered Barbara's reasons. He exhaled slowly through his nose before slipping the envelope into his inside jacket pocket next to the other gold envelope he had put in there several days ago. His watch said it was only seven o'clock. As light rain fell, he edged his car onto Victoria Street and turned left towards Chalk Farm.

* * *

Barbara had swallowed twice the recommended dose of paracetamol, but her head still felt like a grape in a winepress. Any moment she expected it to split open. She moved her head slowly to the left as she straightened her right arm and pressed down on it to stretch her neck. After thirty seconds she swapped sides. Her muscles were looser, but the headache remained. She poured herself a generous swig of brandy and was about to go to bed when her doorbell rang.

"Bloody heck."

She padded to the entrance in her socks and pulled her gown tighter around her waist before she cracked open the door to the length of her security chain. "Sir. What... Hang on." She pushed the door shut, undid the chain and let the door swing open. Her boss shook off the water that had beaded on his jacket then stepped inside. "I'm a bit wet, I'm afraid. I had to park around the corner, and I don't seem to have a brolly in my car."

Barbara smiled. He always sounded so much like the aristocrat he was when he used colloquial terms like brolly. "I've got my heater on. You can leave your wet stuff there if you like."

Tommy rustled behind her as she moved into her lounge room. "I've finished the report if that's what you're worried about. Do you want a drink? I have brandy out, but there's whisky in the cupboard."

"Brandy is fine, thank you. I have your report. I called by your desk to invite you to dinner at the pub. Winston told me you had finished it." He had removed his overcoat and shoes and was standing at the door in his socks. She smiled when she noticed the red monogrammed TL on the toes. "Personalised socks. So you don't forget who you are?"

"They were a birthday gift from my niece. There are a matching handkerchief and underpants."

Barbara laughed as she poured brandy into a cheap balloon glass. She paused, then doubled it. "Here you go."

Tommy held the glass to the light. "Looks like I will need a cab home if you offer me any more of these."

Barbara shrugged. They both knew that if he drank too much, he would sleep on her couch. He always said he would call a cab, but never did. "It can't be the cheap brandy that brought you over."

"I was worried about you."

"It's only a headache."

"I was more concerned about why you haven't opened your invitation to the party of the decade."

She flopped down onto her sofa. "I'm not going. I can't."

"Because you don't like the Assistant Commissioner?" he asked as he sat in her armchair.

Barbara laughed. "Nah, I have nothing against him."

"Then?"

"Are you really surprised? Those type of functions are for the politicians within the force. I will not flit around the room playing nice. Not my scene."

Tommy reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved the envelope. "At least open it."

"You spoke to Winston." Tommy flapped the invitation at her, so she took. "Alright, alright."

When she saw the invitation she stopped breathing:

Assistant Commissioner Thomas Lynley

Requests the pleasure of the company of

DCI Barbara Havers

As his partner to attend his

Retirement Dinner

Please RSVP...

She stopped reading. As his partner had been handwritten. "As your partner?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes. I want you by my side as you have been for the last 25 years."

"Sir... I... don't want to have to smile and pretend that I am okay about you leaving."

Tommy slid into his knee in front of her and took her hand. "I have no choice, Barbara. I am turning 60, and I have to retire."

She nodded but could not look at him. "I know... but... I will miss you."

"That's good."

She looked up. "Good?"

He smiled as he took the brandy balloon from her hand and placed it on the side table. "Yes, because I will miss you too." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a second envelope. "I was going to give you this after the dinner, but now seems more appropriate."

With shaky hands, Barbara opened it. This one was entirely handwritten in a neat, flowing version of his usual scrawl.

Assistant Commissioner Thomas Lynley

Requests the pleasure of the company of

DCI Barbara Havers

As his life partner.

Will you marry me?

Please RSVP immediately as I cannot stand waiting any longer.

"Is this a joke?"

"No."

"Why now? You've shown no interest in me before."

"That's not true. I haven't been with another woman in over 15 years since... Julia."

"But?"

"Neither of us wanted to disrupt what we had, did we?" She shook her head. "Now I have no choice, and I can't lose you."

Barbara choked back tears, afraid she would say or do something ridiculous. "And you ask me on the night I have a headache."

Tommy laughed softly then reached up and pushed some hair behind her ear. His hand stayed there. "I didn't come over to race you to bed."

"What if... I'm 58, Tommy. That part of me doesn't work any more. It's probably grown over."

"I don't care. I want to be a husband to you in every way, but if that's not what you want, you can have a separate bedroom, and we never have to consummate the marriage. We can be companions. Friends. But I need you, and I believe you need me too."

"It won't be legal if we never do it."

"Who would know we haven't? I don't intend to invite guests. This is not the Middle Ages, and I'm not the King. My will already leaves the bulk of my estate to you, anyway. Peter only gets Howenstowe and the title."

Barbara stared at him. "I wasn't thinking about it being legal to inherit anything."

"I know." He stroked her temple with his thumb. It was the most soothing thing her head had felt in years.

"You've never even kissed me."

"I'd be honoured to change that right now."

Barbara shook her head gently. "Would you settle for coming to bed with me and just cuddling while you do that thing with your thumb?"

He grinned at her with a mix of love and mischief. "Where would you like my thumb?"

"Tommy." She grinned back. "I was thinking of my temple to ease my headache. Then... if you still want to kiss me... and we... enjoy it, then there are other places in need of attention."

He stood and extended his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. His arms locked around her and squeezed her firmly. Barbara felt safe. Her fears of losing him receded and took her headache with them. She nestled her face against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. His cheek rested on her head. The slightly woody scent of his aftershave intensified when she wrapped her arms around his waist, and his heart beat harder and faster. She ran her thumbs up and down each side of his spine eliciting a low groan.

She sighed then inhaled deeply. "We should move to the bedroom, or we will be here all night."

* * *

Tommy watched as Barbara removed her dressing gown and clad in fluffy blue pyjamas, slipped into her bed. He hung his suit on the hanger she had given him then removed his socks. He debated removing his undershirt but left it on to show her he would be true to his word.

Her body was warm as he wriggled against it. Barbara responded by gently pushing back to ensure they were touching along the length of her body. He leant over and kissed her temple then gently pressed his thumb in the centre and moved the skin in small circles. "Does this help?"

"Enormously."

"Good." He kissed the back of her head. "It's doing wonders for me too."

"I noticed."

He was suddenly aware that his body was ahead of the game. "I'm sorry." He moved back.

"Stay. I think something is waking up. Maybe it's not grown over after all."

"Is that what you want? To make love?"

"Hmmm. We have to know don't we?"

"There is no need to rush anything, Barbara."

"I'm not as honourable or patient as you. I've waited 25 years to be here like this. If you think I'm going to waste it, you've another thing coming."

Tommy pushed the hair from behind her ear and kissed her neck. "What about your headache?"

"The extra blood flow and your thumb have helped."

He moved his hand beneath the cover and under her pyjama top, pausing on the soft skin of her side. "Where would you like extra blood flow and my healing thumb now?"

Barbara pushed back against him and rolled onto her back. "Wherever you think it will do the most good."

He gave her a grin, and from the relief and love in her eyes, he knew what she hoped. He edged his hand under the elastic.

"Yes."

His face was against her ear. "Mmm. I am going to make you scream that very soon."

Her hand clamped over his. "All in good time. I meant yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you. And we can save on laundry if I share your bed."

Tommy laughed softly. "That rather depends I think."

"Tommy."

"I want to make love. Show you how much I love you. I should have said something years ago. If I had known how seeing your passion and desire in your eyes would affect me, then I should have been braver. I'm sorry. Truly sorry, Barbara. I..."

An insistent hand around his neck dragged his face next to hers. "Shhh. Just bloody kiss me, Tommy." Her other hand released its grip, and he slid his thumb slowly down.


End file.
